2010 SEEP Annual Conference: Reflecting on 25 Years of Milestones in Microenterprise Development

Monday, August 16; WASHINGTON, D.C.- The SEEP Network announced today details about the upcoming Annual Conference to be held November 1-5, 2010 in Arlington, VA.

The 2010 SEEP Annual Conference will bring together microenterprise development practitioners from across the globe to celebrate the achievements of recent decades and to address the challenges and opportunities of today. In commemoration of the organization’s twenty- fifth (25th) anniversary, SEEP is pleased to announce this year’s keynote address will be delivered by Darhyl Collins, Stuart Rutherford, and Johnathan Murdioch, acclaimed authors of the book Portfolios of the Poor.

“SEEP is thrilled to be celebrating 25 years of powering connections within the microenterprise development industry,” says Jennifer Vasquez, SEEP Member Affairs and Global Communications Director. “The exchange of knowledge through collective efforts of our members, the resulting learning products which are developed by them and the impact on the ground as practitioners learn better practices, are all instrumental in helping to improve the lives of the most vulnerable and in fulfilling our mission of a sustainable income in every household. Our annual conference is a platform to do just that.”

The 2010 SEEP Annual Conference serves as a premier event for SEEP members and microenterprise development stakeholders to address a range of industry topics. The conference will explore opportunities for expanding financial inclusion through new products and by targeting new demographics. Solutions to major industry challenges, such as managing risk or monitoring social performance, will be weighed alongside strategies for increasing growth and social impact. The conference will also host in-depth training sessions and the 12th annual Global Network Summit.

The SEEP Network is a global network of microenterprise development practitioners. Its 80+ institutional members are active in 180 countries and reach over 35 million microentrepreneurs and their families. SEEP’s mission is to connect these practitioners in a global learning environment so that they may reduce poverty through the power of enterprise. For 25 years SEEP has engaged with practitioners from all over the globe todiscuss challenges and innovative approaches to microenterprise development. As a member-driven organization, our members drive our agenda while SEEP provides the neutral platform to share their experiences and engage in new learning on innovative practices. The SEEP Network helps strengthen our members’ collective global efforts to improve the lives of the world’s most vulnerable people.